Shaobei

Shaobei

Shaobei, now known as Anfeng Pond, is located in Gejiadian, about 30 kilometers south of Shouxian County. The construction of Shaobei featured scientific site selection and a rational engineering layout. It draws water from Longxue Mountain and the Pihe River upstream, and controls over 1,300 square kilometers of the Pidong Plain downstream. The area boasts fertile land and abundant resources, playing an important role in the economic and cultural development of the State of Chu after it moved its capital to Shouchun.

The creator of Shaobei was Shu'ao. Sun Shu'ao, a native of Qisi, served as the prime minister (Lingyin) during the reign of King Zhuang of Chu (613–591 BCE). Initially, Shaobei covered a very large area. Since the Han Dynasty, the sources of the Pi and Fei rivers have gradually become silted up or diverted, and the embankment area has been converted from the outside inward into farmland, causing the pond’s surface to shrink over time. Today, inside the Sun Public (Sun Ao) Temple on the northern bank of the pond, there is a stone-carved "Ancient Pond Map." According to measurements from the map, its boundaries are similar to those described in Li Daoyuan's Commentary on the Water Classic, which states that the pond had a circumference of 120 li. The construction of Shaobei by the State of Chu not only met agricultural production needs but also held political significance. At the time, Chu was expanding its influence eastward into the Huainan region. The completion of Shaobei greatly facilitated this expansion and laid an economic foundation for the later, faltering state of Chu to relocate its capital to Shouchun, where it remained stable for over a decade.

Shaobei is one of China’s four great ancient hydraulic engineering projects (Shaobei, Dujiangyan, Zhanghe Canal, and Zhengguo Canal), once hailed as the “crown of water conservancy.” On January 13, 1988, it was designated as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the State Council.

Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the government has placed great emphasis on the maintenance and improvement of Anfeng Pond. Annual funding has been allocated, with total investments exceeding 30 million yuan. By 1986, over 180,000 cubic meters of stone and earthworks had been completed, including an 87.5-kilometer main canal, four branch canals each 77.5 kilometers long, as well as more than 7,000 feeder and lateral canals, along with over 700 various hydraulic structures. The pond is protected by stone slope revetments, with a water storage capacity of 100 million cubic meters and an irrigated area of 630,000 mu, making it an important regulating reservoir within the Pi-Shi-Hang Irrigation District.

Further Reading:

· World Heritage Irrigation Structure